


Karl

by Sarita1046



Category: Split (2016)
Genre: Dissociative Identity Disorder, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-21
Updated: 2017-02-21
Packaged: 2018-09-26 00:59:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9854987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sarita1046/pseuds/Sarita1046
Summary: Introspection on how Barry may have been the only alter to have actually attempted romance.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the Split Kink Meme prompt Barry/OC at: http://split-kink-meme.dreamwidth.org/518.html#comments

Barry enjoyed being in the light – he truly did. Ever since Kevin had consensually given him agency, Barry was finally able to realize the artistic passion that Hedwig and Kevin himself had long remained ashamed of. 

For years, their mother had scoffed at Kevin’s passion for drawing – fashion design having been totally out of the question. Art was an ‘effeminate’ hobby and not something that could ever make any money.

Such was another brilliant aspect to Dr. Fletcher – her relentless confidence in Barry’s clothing designs. He’d never had anyone compliment his sketches before. 

That was, until May 2014. When Karl came along. 

“Which line do you design for?” 

The System was thankful that Barry was in the light at the moment or many of the others may have jumped at how quickly the young man had appeared by their table. 

Barry smiled up at him. While he’d chosen the seat by the window as always, he also preferred the chance to meet someone new and even show off his work. 

“Thinking of starting my own,” replied Barry with a polite grin. “Do you design for anyone?”

“Used to design sets for a few travel groups on Broadway. Then my contract ended. Now I just design locally for Stagecrafters Theater.”

“Mm, I’ve heard of it,” Barry hummed. Did this count as that café small talk his mother was always complaining about from men? “You miss New York?” 

“Sometimes, but you know…it’s quaint here.” Karl grinned. “I’m Karl.”

"Barry."

Karl took a seat across from Barry. That was the first time the System had actually had struck the fancy of a fellow young(ish) person. 

They kept meeting there as well, each morning at ten before heading to work. Just to discuss – life. They learned a great deal about Karl. He'd been raised in Manhattan, attended Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, spent some time working in a non-profit that introduced theater to youth in Ethiopia. Karl's father had come from Ethiopia and cared for him following the death of Karl's mother in a car crash. She had been from Sweden and met Karl's father as a fellow immigrant to New York City years earlier. 

Barry knew how much Kevin had longed to travel - how many of them wished to. Karl seemed so fascinating and worldly, while they were confined to a world of animals. 

Several night classes in design at the local community college hardly counted. Especially when all of them - Barry included - shied away at the thought of actually submitting any sketches. 

The idea of either rejection or acceptance were equally intimidating. Rejection was always difficult, but acceptance could mean the prospect of moving to an unfamiliar place and pushed to fraternize with strange new people. By going to school, Barry was certainly the closest they'd ever come to branching out. 

Barry ultimately settled for telling Karl the near-truth when asked about his own family. That his mother and father had both passed away. 

Still even Barry, with his optimistic demeanor, had to wonder what was in it for Karl. It wasn’t as if he were being paid, like Dr. Fletcher – and even then, the psychologist’s investment in her patient extended beyond money to research.

What had Karl to research or pry into?

Fortunately, once Barry opened up to Dr. Fletcher about these little outings a week later, the wool was promptly removed. 

“He seems to like you, Barry,” she stated plainly but with a gleaming smile. 

That had made even Barry hesitate. Surely, he’d realized that had been a possibility on some level, but…did men really just pick you up in the café, like his mother had always mentioned?

More importantly, where would it go from there? Could he simply have fun with Karl? What did fun even mean? Did Karl have some ulterior motive? 

Could Barry keep the others at bay long enough to test the waters with this…’dating game’?

 

After about a month of coffee sessions, they visited the Philadelphia Museum Of Art. 

As uncertain as he was about this whole situation, Barry had to admit to himself that having a fellow art enthusiast around was pretty neat. 

Still, the visit was also...strange. Especially when Karl ushered Barry over to his favorite painting. 

Guernica - Pablo Picasso's famous cubist piece, depicting the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco's attack on the Basque village, Guernica, during WWII. Barry was familiar with the piece, but had yet to really study it up close. 

"Cubism's amazing," Karl gushed, "How abstract artists used it as their style to express the idea that sight and perspective are made up of many different views." 

_Many different views._

Such was the only moment Barry felt a tad uncomfortable while out with Karl and not because of the latter himself. It was just...that painting. Something about the fractured chaos of it all. The petrified horse, the dying man being burned alive... 

Karl's asking if he was ready to get lunch thankfully broke through the steadily growing roar in Barry's ears. 

After the museum, they went for dinner. 

Barry was nervous, of course. And yet, he felt oddly warm inside. He’d become fascinated by Karl’s angular facial features, his slight stubble, and deep caramel skin accentuated by hazel eyes that caught the light in just the right way…

“Everything okay?” Karl asked with a hint of mirth. He'd just been noticing the subtle fiddling of Barry's folded hands on the table before him. They'd taken a seat outside, so Barry had left his gloves on, leaving only his fingers exposed. Despite his talk of zoo work requiring lots of heavy-lifting, Barry's fingers actually looked rather soft... 

The sight of his fingertips was somehow endearing. Almost teasing. 

Karl's question broke Barry out of his own reverie. Whether due to the wine or his inner fervor kicking into high gear, he didn’t care. 

“You have the…nicest eyes.” _Smooth._

Karl seemed a bit taken aback, before his smile broadened even further.

“Wowwww,” he breathed, “I’m so glad you broke the ice. Because your eyes are actually what struck me about you. If I’m being honest…they’re bluer than any of the actors I’ve ever worked around.”

He shared his mother’s blue eyes…but enough of that, for Christ’s sake. 

"Stage actors," Barry teased lightly. "Not movie actors."

"Believe me," Karl smiled, "The stage calls for the real stuff. There are no re-takes in theatre."

He needed a distraction. One where he didn’t have to think of his mother or women at all – just this man before him. It didn’t matter where it went – time to live in the moment for once in his life. 

“Let’s get out of here,” Barry stood up and grabbed his scarf. 

_Hedwig, stay put. Don’t you dare come out._

He could do this.

There was no response from their inner child. He supposed it made sense. No woman to impress or please, no Hedwig. 

Fortunately, they hadn’t gone to eat far from the zoo, where Barry pulled Karl almost roughly behind one of the brick walls and…

Hugged him.

Really, just hugged him. He froze before he could go any further. Not a Hedwig or Dennis might emerge sort of frozen, but something was keeping him from going further.

Perhaps he just needed a prompt from Karl to confirm this was something both parties desired.

Grasping fingers in his slowly growing hair, Karl answered Barry’s question. 

Soon enough, Karl’s hands dropped from the other’s closely shorn hair and entangled in his scarf, lightly tugging in a way that drove Barry mad.

Where had these feelings been hiding? He knew he’s always preferred men, but from afar…

It was Barry who slipped his tongue between Karl’s lips. He smelt of mint and pine. Intoxicating cologne of some kind. 

Barry's mind was almost too hazy to even really worry about how he was likely fumbling - 31 and this was the furthest he'd ever gotten with a man or woman. If Karl noticed Barry's lack of experience, he certainly made no move to point it out. 

Hands and mouths were everywhere. For the first time, Barry was grinding on someone – and he couldn’t believe this other human being was actually treating him with desire and passion. Not ridicule or condescension. 

It was unbelievably _hot._

Then Karl dropped to his knees and Barry’s every muscle was on fire. On some level, he realized it probably couldn’t last. Then again, what really does last?

Tangling his fingers in Karl's dark brown curls, Barry could barely control his breathing or hip movement as Karl did what no one had done before. Grasping fistfuls of Barry’s jacket to hold his waist still, Karl left him with no choice but to experience the sensation. 

_Live for the moment._ Was his final thought before all senses exploded in unbridled ecstasy. 

 

They continued like this for a few nights a week. Just enjoying each other’s company, either at Karl’s or at Barry’s. No labels, no questions asked. Even on the occasion that they'd spend the night, Barry's sporadic nightmares didn't seem to put off Karl. 

At this stage, such simplicity was exactly what Barry needed. No one to disappoint if this was all just fleeting.

 

Barry initially had to overcome a hump to realize he actually enjoyed returning the favor for Karl – no vivid childhood memories surfaced of forced pleasure-giving to avoid a red-hot hanger tip.

He liked pleasing Karl – and he loved it when Karl took charge. 

In fact, he loved it a bit too much.

It was a Tuesday in early August 2014 when Karl rang the doorbell to Barry’s flat. The young set designer hadn’t wanted to tell Barry over the phone. His contract had ended early, and he’d snagged another back in New York. He still had a few weeks left in Philly, but it all seemed pretty sudden. 

All guilty thoughts he may have had were replaced with surprise when Barry opened the door.

The first word that came to Karl’s mind was - _clean._

Not that Barry didn’t have excellent hygiene and impeccable taste in both clothing and aftershave, but this was…on a whole other level.

No scarf or beanie, a black button-down shirt done all the way to the collar, and…

“Barry, when did you get glasses?”

“We can’t see each other anymore,” was all Barry said. Why was he suddenly so stiff? Moreover, where was Barry's trademark grin that always lit up the room? 

“Mm, I actually came here to talk to you about that,” Karl attempted a smile to ease the awkwardness just a bit, “I wanted to see if we could spend some time together before I have to leave – I got another contract in New York. This one ended here.”

“New York,” the city’s name sounded as if it left a bad taste in Barry’s mouth. “I’m from there originally.”

“You never mentioned…I mean I always figured from your accent, but never really knew. If you want, I could hook you up with a costume designer who has connections back in the city-”

“Not interested in going back there," the other cut in gruffly. Even Barry agreed with that. "Anyway, as I said, good luck. I can’t see you anymore. It was…something new to try. And I’ve decided it’s not for me.”

“Really? So you’re okay with the New York part, I’m relieved. But what’s not for you? If you mean what we’ve been doing…?”

Dennis didn’t like the conniving gleam in the man’s eyes as he extended a hand toward his face. He caught his wrist swiftly and Karl withdrew slightly.

“You sure seemed like you liked it,” was all he could manage at first. “Are you trying to tell me that was an experiment? Because I’m sorry to tell ya, but it’d be a riot to see you with a girl…”

“I’ve had a difficult day at work. Leave now, please. We can’t have distractions. From men or women. We needed what you provided, but it ran its course.”

_We? Barry and himself, Karl supposed._

As Karl descended the apartment steps into the balmy evening, Dennis felt Barry shift comfortably deep down. 

_He was leaving anyway. No harm done. Was fun while it lasted. You should try it sometime, Dennis. You sure didn’t seem too fond of what happened with those girls today at the zoo…._

Dennis tensed noticeably at that. 

"Take a few days," Barry continued optimistically, "We'll get everything back on track soon enough. Then I'll take over again." 

Dennis didn't reply. 


End file.
